Published online Feb 28, 2021. doi: 10.13105/wjma.v9.i1.12
Peer-review started: October 21, 2020
First decision: November 3, 2020
Revised: December 15, 2020
Accepted: February 22, 2021
Article in press: February 22, 2021
Published online: February 28, 2021
Processing time: 131 Days and 17.2 Hours
Exosomes are small plasma membrane-bound multivesicular bodies ranging in size from 20-100 nm. Exosomes are degraded fragments of mRNA, microRNA, and enriched in proteins, lipids, and nucleic acid. They are produced in the endosomes of most eukaryotic cells and once secreted, exosomes are involved in cell to cell communication and remodeling of the matrix in the extracellular compartment. Exosome biogenesis plays a crucial role in cellular development, inflammation, immunity, hemostasis, carcinogenesis, and degeneration. Due to their unique biochemical and biophysical properties, exosomes serve a variety of functions including biomarkers of diagnostic and prognostic significance. Besides, there is an increasing level of evidence to expand our understanding of the exosomes as novel therapeutic agents. Inflammatory bowel disease (IBD) such as Crohn's disease and ulcerative colitis, hepatic fibrosis, and gastrointestinal malignancies such as colorectal cancer are the potential avenues where exosomes can be applied as cell therapy and immunotherapy and have shown promising results in several in-vitro and animal models. The purpose of this review article is to highlight the emerging role of exosomes as the diagnostic and therapeutic tool in various diseases involving the gastrointestinal tract like IBD, hepatocellular carcinoma, and colon cancer. A thorough literature search was performed on databases such as PubMed, Ovid Medline, and EMBASE to achieve the objectives of this review article.
Core Tip: Exosomes are tiny membrane-bound extracellular vesicles that are becoming increasingly popular due to their potential role in regulating various intracellular and extracellular signaling pathways. Exosome biogenesis has been shown to plays a role in cellular development, inflammation, immunity, hemostasis, carcinogenesis, and degeneration. Due to their unique properties, exosomes have the potential to serve as diagnostic, prognostic, and therapeutic vectors. This review provides a concise summary of the role of exosomes as the diagnostic and therapeutic tool in various diseases involving the gastrointestinal tract.